The secret to a happy modem The key to getting a modem to work is often getting the right init string or driver (settings file). That's because every brand and model of modem is a little different. Inits and drivers take these differences into account, and help your software work with your modem. Which is better: an init string or a driver? You're always better off with a driver. The driver will contain an init string, as well as extra settings used by the program. For Windows 95/98 Dial-Up Networking and Apple's PPP for Open Transport, you generally must have the correct driver in order for the software to report the true connect speed. Getting the true connect speed Getting your modem to report the true connect speed (instead of 38400, 57600, or 115200, which are not true connect speeds) can be tricky. Catch up on your computer training to get some basic understanding of computers first. Handy Init Strings Turning V.90, K56flex, and x2 on or off See the Interoperability section of the Troubleshooting Guide. To keep the modem from answering the phone Add S0=0 to your init string. (Note that "0" is a zero, not a capital "o".) If you want the modem to pick up after the fifth ring, for instance, you would use S0=5. Speaker Control Init Strings These commands will control the speaker on most modems. Note that "0" is a zero, not a capital "o". The Windows 95 Modems control panel and the Macintosh Modem control panel (in OS 7.6 and higher) have volume controls, so using an init string is usually not necessary if you have the correct driver or settings files installed. M0 Speaker always off M1 Speaker on during connection M2 Speaker always on (very noisy) L0 Lowest volume L1 Lowest volume (redundant) L2 Medium volume L3 Maximum volume Frequently Asked Questions Modem init strings What's a modem init string? Where do I put the modem init string? Where can I find other init strings? Windows 95/98 .inf files (drivers) What's a Windows 95/98 .inf file and what programs use it? How do I install the .inf file? How do I tell my programs to use the new modem settings? How do I add an init string to Windows 95/98 Dial-Up Networking? How do I extract init strings from Windows 95/98 .inf files? Mac modem scripts (CCL Files) What's a modem script and what programs use it? Where do I install the modem script after I download it? How do I tell my programs to use the new modem script? How do I edit a script's init string? How can I make my own modem scripts? Where can I find other Mac scripts? How do I extract init strings from Mac modem scripts?

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